Dean decorates rented homes in Collingtree for private landlords and letting agents, three miles out from central Northampton. Lettings here tend to be detached and semi-detached family houses rather than shared housing, so the work is mainly between-tenancy repaints done well enough to last a long let.
A small lettings picture
We found no published data on renting in Collingtree, and we would rather say that plainly than guess. What the sources do show is the type of home: Rightmove sales in NN4 0 are mostly detached and semi-detached freehold houses, with a few terraced houses on the High Street and the odd flat. There is no sign of the student lets or houses in multiple occupation found closer to the town centre. So when a property here is let, it is most likely a family house or a village cottage, and the decorating should match that.
Family houses: decorating for a long tenancy
A tenant renting a large family house near the golf course is likely to stay for years, not months. That changes the priorities. Rather than the cheapest coat to get a flat re-let by Friday, it pays to choose finishes that hold up and touch up well:
| Area | Typical wear in a family let | Our usual approach |
|---|---|---|
| Hall, stairs and landing | Scuffs from bags, buggies and moving furniture | Scrubbable matt walls, satin woodwork |
| Kitchen and utility | Steam, grease, marks around bins | Wipeable kitchen-grade emulsion |
| Children’s rooms | Sticker and pen marks, knocks | Durable matt in one neutral shade for easy patching |
| Bathrooms and en-suites | Condensation and mould spotting | Treat the mould, then use a moisture-resistant finish |
We keep a note of the colours and products used at each property, so the next round of touch-ups matches without repainting whole walls.
Letting a cottage on the High Street
The handful of terraced homes on the High Street are part of the Collingtree Conservation Area, and several buildings along it are listed. A landlord letting one of these has extra things to think about. Original lime plaster walls and old joinery need breathable paints and careful preparation, and modern wipeable emulsions are not always suitable on them. On listed buildings, any change to historic features needs checking with West Northamptonshire Council, so between tenancies we stick to like-for-like redecoration unless you have confirmed otherwise. These houses also tend to have small rooms, low ceilings and steep stairs, which affect how long a repaint takes.
The outside of a let house
Exterior upkeep usually stays with the landlord, and Collingtree’s setting is hard on paintwork. Golf-side plots at Collingtree Park are shaded by mature trees, so timber fascias, fences and gates collect leaf litter, shade and green algae that need cleaning and treating before a coat of paint will last. Houses nearer the M1 and the A45 pick up a film of traffic grime. A check of the outside between tenancies, with fascias, front doors and fence panels dealt with before they fail, is cheaper than replacing rotten timber later and makes the property look cared for to the next tenant.
Working with landlords and agents
Whether you manage the property yourself or through an agent, we can:
- Inspect between tenancies and list which rooms need a full repaint and which only need touching up.
- Work from an inventory or check-out report to fix the items it flags.
- Collect keys from the agent and send photos when the work is finished.
- Fit the work into the gap between the check-out and the next move-in.
Collingtree Park has only four ways in and out, and the old village sits on a dead-end High Street, so we plan our arrival and parking before the day. Our landlord and letting agent decorating page explains how we price and schedule rental work across Northampton.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
